Damaged Minds
by no-more-doubt
Summary: Harleen Quinzel is ambitious, determined, and has one goal: crack into the brain of one of Gotham's most feared criminals. But when her broken boundaries open the door into her own fragile mind, she finds herself staring down into a rabbit hole, one that tempts her to simply let go and jump into the fun head first.


Reviews appreciated!

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She was used to getting what she wanted. She was used to being the best.

She wasn't afraid to use every tool in her belt to ensure that she came out on top, which is why it was no surprise to her when she was offered the prestigious residency position at Arkham Asylum, beating out fifty other applicants. She acted surprised, of course, when Dr. Arkham himself called her with the offer the morning after her interview. He said that not only had he been impressed with her in person, but that her letter of recommendation from Gotham University was "practically glowing".

As it should be, she thought to herself. She had spent enough time on her knees in the professor's office to ensure an above-average recommendation. Most other women may have felt ashamed, but she knew better than to view her sex appeal as anything but power. Clearly, it had worked for her so far. It wasn't that she was stupid or had nothing else to offer, either. On the contrary, she was intelligent enough to know that she didn't have to apply herself or stress as much as the other medical students if she simply utilized her "tools". And she could have gone anywhere for her residency, but, as fate would have it, there was money to be made with the looney-tunes of Arkham Asylum.

She reminded herself to throw out words like "gracious", "humbled", and "honored" during the phone call, and once she had hung up, she did a clumsy victory dance through the living room in her socks and pink pajama shorts. She eventually came to rest on the couch, the morning news on low volume in the background. With her coffee mug in hand, she gazed at the different newspaper articles scattered across the coffee table.

The residency offered her a chance to break into some of the most depraved, lunatic minds of Gotham; minds she had been studying through the media since she began medical school. Her interest in the criminal mind, and the money she could make from them, was her real reason for applying to the position. One tell-all book about some creepy fucker could have her set for life. Sipping her coffee, she lifted an article off the table, and skimmed the familiar headline.

 _Fear Toxin's Effects Linger After One Year_

Dr. Jonathan Crane. Now _he_ would be an interesting patient. Psychiatrist gone mad? Or mad psychiatrist finally apprehended?

She set down his article in favor of another: _Riddle Me This_

With a roll of her eyes, she let that article float back down to the table. One, it was a cheesy headline. Second, she hated riddles, but Nigma would be better than nothing. She relaxed back into the couch and closed her eyes, smiling to herself. She had done it; she had opened the door for herself, and now the real work was to begin. She could practically smell the money.

The faint, opening jingle of a "breaking news story" caught her attention, and she turned the volume up on the T.V. The first thing that caught her attention was the headline, the bold text crammed into a tiny box beside the anchorman's head: _Joker Apprehended_. Beneath the text was a picture of the clown himself, a mug shot that she had seen numerous times in the past.

"We have received confirmation that "the Joker" was arrested late last night following an altercation with the Batman," came the report. "Again, we have just received confirmation from the GCPD that the man known only as "the Joker" has been arrested. We'll take you to Sherry Lind who is live on the scene at Port Adams. Sherry?"

The screen switched to the reporter, a twig-of-a-woman who was bundled up in a heavy winter coat and scarf. Policemen and EMTs swarmed behind her in a frenzy, and she was forced hold the microphone close to her mouth to be heard against the noise and wind.

"Thanks, Tom," she began, wiping stray hairs from her face. "I'm here at Port Adams, where just two hours ago, the GCPD apprehended the Joker in the building behind me. From what witnesses have described, he was found dangling upside down by his foot with a rope secured from up on the top floor. It is believed that the Batman had subdued him for police before escaping, but the details of this are still coming out as time goes on."

The anchorman came back into view with a split screen. "Thank you, Sherry. People are wanting to know what the next step is, and we're hoping your earlier conversations with the GCPD can answer that for us. The people of Gotham want to know if they can feel safe."

"Yes, Tom, when I spoke earlier with Commissioner Gordon, he made it very clear that they will not waste any time in moving the Joker to a more secure facility. Given the nature of the crimes and the behavior that many medical professionals have deemed psychotic, he explained that they received the OK from a judge to secure him within Arkham Asylum immediately pending trial."

 _Holy shit… Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit_.

Her mouth was agape, her jaw practically on the floor. She quickly rummaged through the articles on the table to find the small stack she had kept on the clown. She had followed his movements meticulously throughout the last couple of months and had watched and re-watched interviews with psychiatrists as they tried to piece together his brain. They said it was impossible to understand a mind as damaged as his, and she never _dreamed_ she'd have a chance at that challenge. Now, she was going to be in the same _building_ as him, maybe even the same _room_. The Joker. _The_ Joker. _Damn,_ she thought. Her adrenaline was beginning to pick up at the mere thought of it, and her legs were beginning to tingle with excitement. She was sure he would have gotten himself killed before he ever let himself get caught, but luck was apparently on her side. Her smile grew wider as she reread the articles about his antics and crimes.

Forget Riddler and Scarecrow.

This clown was _gold_.


End file.
